Torpedo-guard



0. H. THOMPSON.

TORPEDQ GUARD APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27. I9l8.

1,328,549; Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

avvue'nboz i Gite puma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER H. THOMPSON, OF BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

Application filed September 27, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. TI-IoMPsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooking's, in the county of Brookings and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Torpedo- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a torpedo guard and more particularly to a guard unit designed to deflect a torpedo laterally from the side of a vessel and out of contact therewith.

One of the objects is to provide a guard unit including a member formed of wire mesh or the like and mounted in a suitable frame, said member having an outer concave surface and adapted to deflect a torpedo in the manner specified.

Another object is to provide means for resiliently mounting a guard member of the type indicated, permitting its movement under impact and preventing unnecessary strain on the structure of said unit.

A still further object is to provide means for adjustably mounting a guard unit formed as specified and designed to deflect a torpedo laterally from the side of the vessel and out of contact therewith.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front-elevation of one of the guard units.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view With portions broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation and in vertical section, the section being taken through the frame carrying the mesh constituting the guard proper.

Fig. l is a top plan view showing the manner of mounting two guard units, the ends of which approach each other without overlapping.

Each guard unit comprises a structure of wire mesh carried by a suitable frame and including U-shaped members designated 10 connected by means of cross bars or stay rods 12. The mesh may be of any suitable size and formed of steel wire or the like, the guard unit as a whole presenting a concave outer surface for deflecting a torpedo fired toward the vessel by which the guard is carried. The torpedo engaging the guard unit, placed in operative posltion and at the required depth, will be deflected upwardly Specification of Letters Patent.

TORPEDO-GUARD.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 255,921.

and then laterally, passing outwardly from the side of the vessel.

The wire mesh is designated 14 and the frame including members 10 and 12 is supported for movement with reference to standards or the like designated 15 carried at the side of the vessel and spaced therefrom. Frames 18 including sleeves 19 are slidable on standards 15, and support the mesh, bearings being provided at 21 for thebar 22 of the frame first named. Coiled springs 16 are mounted as shown and serve to hold the guard member in operative position and to cushion or check the movement of said member when engaged by a torpedo.

Each guard unit may be moved into an operative or inoperative position by means of an upwardly extending cable or the like designated 20 and operated from the deck of a vessel by any suitable means shown conventionally at 21, the frames 18 permitting such movement.

In Figs. 1 and 3 I have shown adjacent units overlapping, and it is the intention that overlapping units shall be raised at the same time. The inner unit is designated 10" and the outer overlapping unit is shown at 10 in Fig. 3. An additional bracing element in Fig. 1 is designated 5.

In the top plan view shown in Fig. 4:, the supporting brackets 18 receive in suitable bearings or sockets 23 the ends of bars 22 at points where the guard units do not overlap. Spacing members are shown at 11.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a guard unit including a member having an outer concave surface arranged to deflect a torpedo upwardly and laterally from the side of a vessel, and adjustable mounting means for said member including a plurality of resilient devices permitting the movement of the member under impact.

2. In a device of the class described, a guard unit including a member having an outer concave surface, a second unit Sll11llarly formed and having its end overlapping the unit first named, vertically movable brackets for mounting the units and permit ting swinging movement of said units, and sprlngs normally retaining the units in position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OLIVER H. THOMPSON. 

